AVERY, TEXAS

Historical Tomato Center of Northeast Texas

There was a time when AVERY had signs at the outskirts of town to remind passersby that they were entering, “AVERY, Tomato Center of Northeast Texas”. The same sign appeared on the city water tower in 1949. Until the mid 1960’s, there was no doubt in the fact. In the summer months, Avery took on a carnival like atmosphere and businesses were booming. The tomato sheds ran 24 hours a day and every school aged kid over sixteen who wanted to work could find a job at one of the sheds. Tomatoes were the money crop for many families not only in the Avery area but for miles around.

The beginning of the Tomato Industry began about 1924. Mr. R.L. (Robert Lee) Wooldridge, a blind farmer and Mr. Bill Nevill introduced Avery to the raising and trucking of tomatoes. The government was buying car loads to tomatoes from Jacksonville, Texas and the two men went to investigate. They realized a great opportunity for Avery. Mr. Wooldridge had been a school teacher in Red River County for years but as time passed, he went blind from a hereditary condition. Needing another source of income, he took up farming. His wife Ada was appointed Postmaster at the Avery Post Office on January 16, 1896. Mr. Nevill was a mail carrier and owner of the first car in Avery. Mr. Wooldridge and his friend Mr. Nevill began their tomato growing business with one acre crops and expanded as the industry grew. The tomato industry continued to grow gradually until 1930 when it became the major industry in Avery. One year, Avery boasted to having thirteen sheds. Many times as many as ten would be in business. Tomatoes were picked green and hauled to the market where they were graded, wrapped, and shipped in refrigerated cars to various canneries or processing plants mostly in the Northeastern Unites States.

Before the war, Avery shipped about two hundred cars per year to the northern and eastern markets. In 1939, about two hundred thirteen cars were shipped. It was the most successful season in the history of the community. Larger seasons had been experienced but none had been more profitable or satisfactory. Avery was earmarked

as a boom town and the “Tomato Center of Northeast Texas”. For the first time, tomatoes loaded into cars were shipped directly to Canada. The residents of Avery depended on the tomatoes as their chief cash crop. Tomatoes netted as much as $1000.00 per acre but the average yield was $200.00 to $600.00 per acre.

By June 9, 1944, Clarksville had two sheds constructed to provide packing accommodations on the large area of Red River County not convenient to the big Avery Market, which dominated all tomato shipping activities in Northeast Texas. In 1947, the Northeast Texas area shipped more than 850 cars of green wraps. In 1949, there were seven sheds and the tomato fields ranged from fifteen acres of Quinten Martin, eleven acres of Harold and Wheeler Woods, down to an acre and a half fields. The tomato season really began when the seeds were planted in the hot beds, then transferred to cold beds to protect them from the cold. After a few weeks, the plants were transplanted by hand into the fields, fertilized, sprayed, and pruned. The tomatoes were brought in by the farmers in wagons and trucks where they were sold to the sheds. From there the tomatoes were graded, packed, and inspected for shipment. The tomatoes were wrapped individually until about 1950. At that time, they were packed in rainbow shapes in 30 lb. lugs. After 1950, they had grading machines and packed about 60 lbs to a box poured loose in what they called a jungle pack. Later, they used 40 lb. boxes, then 30 lb. boxes.

At the peak, there were approximately fifty worker’s on Burres Bearden’s shed. The tomatoes were hauled in refrigerator cars and pulled up beside the sheds. In 1960, some trucks began to haul most of them and few refrigerator cars. Mr. Bearden was the last shipper in Avery and he stopped in 1973. Other tomato sheds were owned by Austin Kelsoe, Brose and John Medford, Polis_Hagan, Hugh Rough, Milch & Stepp, J. A. Folston, Leroy Crawford, A. T. Tibbie Valley Fruit Company, Intersate Produce Company and Duncan. The farmers raised Rudgers and Marglobe but Homestead was the principal crop.

The Northeast Texas area shipped 637 cars in 1946. Production was up 1500% from 1924 as 20 cars were shipped in 1924. In 1946, there were ten sheds operating in Avery. They handled 107 more cars than it’s closest rival, DeKalb. On July 10, 1946, Avery had 329 cars, DeKalb 222, New Boston 40, Clarksville 27, Blossom 11, and Bagwell 8. Prices ranged from 6 to 7 cents a pound. They had six rail stations and a total of 637 refrigerated cars. They topped the season in shipping. In 1947, Avery dropped the number of cars under 300 and DeKalb took the lead with 320 cars to Avery’s 282, Clarksville 75, New Boston 67, Detroit 64, Blossom 41 for a total of 849 cars. Although DeKalb had the top spot, Red River County had 421 cars, 34 above Bowie County.

June 25, 1947 showed DeKalb 92 cars to Avery’s 81 as they reached the season peak, In 1947, the tomato markets were on a five day a week buying and shipping schedule. They shipped on Saturday and worked Monday through Friday to meet Labor Union Regulations in order to create better selling and working conditions at the terminals. Labor regulations were the first major action in years to affect the markets. 1964 saw the markets really big last season and it went downhill from there. Bearden sheds shipped only 750 tons that year. In 1973, the tomatoes grown filled about 10 trailer trucks. The reason for the decline was the lack of tomato growers left in Avery. Elmer Brem and his wife were the best growers and they were in their seventies. They had to hire pickers. At that time, the tomato market was fading not only because of poor conditions but because of the absence of “stoop labor” or “tomato tramps” as the pickers were called. Picking tomatoes was hard and back breaking work. There was no local help available. When the tomato industry was at it’s peak, Avery thrived in the summer because the “tomato tramps” would arrive in town. The people of Avery not only profited from selling tomatoes but in renting out rooms, cooking meals, and washing for the temporary influx of workers.

In 1973, a good acre of tomatoes would bring in about 10,000 lbs. worth $1,250.00 at the market price. In 1972, the markets could hardly sell their tomatoes but in 1973, the markets were good and they had no tomatoes. The farmers were not able to comply with federal regulations and quit framing tomatoes.

When Avery’s tomato industry was in it’s heyday and bright lights, they had tomato festivals each year , parades, picnics, and carnivals.

In 2003, the town is quite but there is one remaining Tomato Shed in downtown Avery that was owned and operated by A.T. Tibbie Valley Fruit Company during the big Avery Market days. After the sheds quit operation, Valley Fruit Company sold their shed to the Medford family. When the sheds deteriorated and most were torn down, the Medford family sold the only remaining shed to Jerry and Linda Robinson. Mr. Robinson donated it to the City of Avery who turned over the building to the Avery Historical Society. The Historical Society and the City of Avery are restoring the shed as close as possible to the original condition to preserve our history as “Tomato Center of Northeast Texas”.

Mr. R.L. Wooldridge in his quest for another source of income had no idea what his realized opportunity for Avery would create for the small town. He was getting up in years when the tomato industry began. He died in 1939 before the industry reached it’s peak. He is buried in Avery Cemetery east of downtown in clear sight of the tomato shed. This city owes Robert Lee Wooldridge a debt of gratitude along with his long time friend Bill Nevill for the prosperity that they once brought to Avery, Texas.